I'm a novice w/wine & don't drink very much. My hubby loves it, & I've been considering a PEK Wine Preservation system so that he can enjoy better wines w/out feeling like he has to drink them all in such a short time, so that they don't 'spoil.' He does have a VacuVin basic thing. Do you believe this is good enough?

Here's more info on the Pek Preservers...
http://www.beveragefactory.com/wine/preservation/pek/index.shtml
which I heard about on TV.

One adjusts temp's for you & is more expensive. Not sure if either makes sense? Can one taste the argon gas inserted? Any opinions?

Secondly, in the category of 'splurge-y' gifts...I'm considering a Wine Essences Collection. Will be around a lot of family over the holidays (a fair number wine drinkers, unlike me) so thought giving something like this now might be more fun than just giving to dear hubby when no one around to share it with. :-) Altho' again, we ran across this at a vineyard & even I had a blast trying to figure out the aromas.

There are two sized kits. One just has 12 aromas & is under $70. The other is $110-130 & has 24 'essences'. Thought that would be more challenging but perhaps too difficult to even make use of?

Does anyone here have one of these?

Could really use your opinions since I know so little about wine products.
Thank you so much!! :-)

For storing opened wine, most folks feel that the VacuVin isn't really effective -- about the same effectiveness as just putting the cork back. Most folks around here, I believe, use Private Preserve, which runs about 10 bucks a can (about 120 uses, if memory serves). I don't have much of an opinion about the aroma kits. My wife bought me one last Christmas, and we've pulled it out from time to time to play with it like a game. I believe the one she purchased is from Wine Enthusiast.

Do you regret the aroma kit...I mean
do you think it too frivolous? I suppose it is, but just trying to think of something original. ;-)

Re: the Private Preserve...thanks for the feedback. I suppose that does make a lot more sense. Any ability to sense or 'taste' the gas inserted? (I thought I read somewhere someone saying they could.)
Thanks again!

Regardless of what some people might say, you can't smell or taste the gas at all. If one could, then it wouldn't be so popular with the really knowledgeable and experienced drinkers and at tasting rooms.

As a gift, of course I don't regret the aroma kit. It was a thoughtful gift that has been fun. However, it is something that probably could be used more than we have, and when we have used it, it has been for fun to answer those "Is that black cherry or plum?" debates (which my wife always wins, by the way). [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]